Breech for toy cannon.



PATENTBD DEC. 5, 1905.

R. A. SGHBFFEL.

BREBGH FOR TOY CANNON.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZB, 1904.

his Qtt ovnt \ls/dnesscsz ROY A. SCHEFFEL, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

BREECH FOR TOY CANNON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

Application filed July 23, 1904- Serial No. 217,765.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY A. SOHEFFEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breeches for Toy Cannon; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in breech-blocks for toy cannon, mortars, and other toy representations of warfare armament.

The object of the invention is to provide a safe and enjoyable toy from which a rubber ball may be thrown by the maximum force of a discharged cracker. The ball may be placed in position in the barrel from the breech, and when in such position the cracker is in contact therewith, so that when said cracker is exploded the force will be exerted directly upon the ball, all as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Preceding a detail description of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view of a cannon with the improved fire-cracker breech. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of a cannon barrel and breech. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section of a cannon barrel and breech. Fig. 4 is a rear view with the breech-block swung open and ready for loading.

In the detail description of the invention similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

1 designates the barrel of a cannon, mortar, or any other form of ordnance, to which the front plate 2 of the breech is attached. In the various views screw-threaded connections 3 are shown. The front plate 2 of the breech has extending from one side projections 4. Fitting between said projections 4 is a projection 5 on the rear plate 6 of the breech. A pin 7, passing through these projections 4 and 5, forms a hinged connection between parts 2 and 6, thus allowing the rear portion 6 to be swung outwardly, opening the gun-breech. When the breech of the gun is closed, the parts 6 and 2 are held firmly together by a threaded pin 8 passing through recesses 9 9',

formed by cars 10 10 on parts 2 and 6 of the breech, and a thumb-nut 11 upon said pin, clamping the various parts. The ears 1O 10 are opposite the hinge 7 in order that a single fastening device, such as the threaded pin 8, may be used to hold the breech-plate 6 in position for firing or discharging the cannon. The inner face 12 of the front plate 2 has a circular opening 13 communicating with the bore 14 of the gun. A semicylindrical groove or recess 15 in the face 12 extends away from said circular opening 13 from opposite sides and terminates a short distance inside the edge of plate 2. The groove or recess 15 lies immediately across the rear terminal of the bore proper of the barrel, so that when the cracker is in position it makes contact with the ball lying within the bore of the barrel. Gommunicating with said groove 15 at the top and passing up to the edge of the plate 2 is a smaller groove or recess 16. On the inner face 12" of the plate 6 is a similar semicylindrical groove or recess 17, having a similar smaller groove or recess 18 communicating with the outer edge of plate 6 at the top. Thefire-cracker 22 may be initially supported in either one of the recesses 15 or 17. When the breech of the gun is closed, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, these semicylindrical grooves coincide with one another to form a cylindrical opening 19 on the interior of the breech, having a small cylindrical opening 20 communicating with the top. Extending forwardly from the opening 19 is the bore 14 of the gun. From the various views of the drawings it will be observed that the bore of the gun has a slight flare toward the muzzle. This flare begins a distance above the breech, having a short length where the sides are parallel, as at 24. The ball which is to be thrown from the gun fits snugly the straight-bored portion, so as to receive the full pressure produced by the explosion of the cracker. The slight flare of the bore toward the muzzle offers an easy passage of the ball from the cannon upon the explosion of the cracker.

Having described the various details of the device, I will now briefly describe its operation.

Thumbnut11 is loosened, and the rear plate 6 is swung open on the hinge formed by the pin 7 and projections 4 and 5. A ball 21, of

any suitable material, preferably hollow rubber, is'inserted, engaging the sides of the bore 14. A fire-cracker 22 is then placed in the groove 15, with the fuse 23 passing up and out through the groove 16. The breech is then closed, and plate 6 is fastened. The gun is now charged and ready for firing. A match is touched to fuse 23, and the pressure generated by the exploding cracker is exerted on the ball 21 to throw it forward. The breech-block is again thrown open by the loosening of thumb-nut 11 and the exploded cracker easily removed, leaving the gun ready for another charge.

The breech may be made to use any size or kind of cracker.

Having described my invention, I claim In a toy gun, the combination of a gun-barrel, of a breech consisting of two plates 12 and 12 which are hinged together,one of said plates having a screw-threaded attachment with the breech of the gun, said plates having a transverse recess which lies immediately across the rear terminal of the bore at the breech of the gun-barrel and in which the cracker is held in contact with the ball or charge, as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROY A. SCHEFFEL.

Witnesses:

J. FRED HEMBERGER, CAROLYN M. THEOBALD. 

